Teen Devotions

God, the Creator, has designed thousands of ways for the animal kingdom to come into existence but the birth of a baby giraffe is likely the most dramatic and painful...for the new born baby.

The mother giraffe doesn't lie down for the birthing process. She stands up to bring her calf into the world and her hind quarters are nearly ten feet off the ground. The newborn is introduced into the world with much trauma. It's ten feet off the hard ground...then bam!

The mother, lowers her head long enough to take a quick look. Then she positions herself over her calf...and she does the most unreasonable thing. She swings her long leg outward and kicks her baby so hard it's sent sprawling head over hooves. When it doesn't get up, the violent process is repeated over and over. The struggle to rise is momentous. As the baby grows tired, the mother kicks it again to stimulate more effort. She does that to make sure the calf gets to its feet.

Finally, the wobbly calf stands for the first time on quivering legs. Then she does a more unreasonable thing...she kicks it off its feet again! WHY? She wants her baby to remember how it got up! In the wild, baby giraffes must be able to get up quickly in order to be able to run and stay with the herd, where there is safety. Lions, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs all enjoy baby giraffes for lunch...and they'd have their lunch if the momma didn't teach her calf how to get on with life. It's get up or die!

Think about this...any life lessons for you here? Sure, life is not easy, it's full of hard knocks. Learn how to survive or you may not be eaten, but you are tested! When you have been knocked down...do you stay down or struggle to your feet to try again?

"We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (II Corinthians 4:7-9)!